Siddha legend Dr.CN Deivanayagam passes away

Renowned chest physician and peace activist C. N. Deivanayagam died in the city on Monday. He was 70. He had been ailing from cancer for a few years.

Born on November 15, 1942, Dr. Deivanayagam chose healing as his metier and went on to graduate in medicine from Madras Medical College in 1965.

He underwent training in Scotland and Northern Ireland for 18 months and became a member of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh) in 1969. He also served as a research officer at the British Medical Research Council's Pneumoconiosis unit for one year.

He served as an assistant professor in the department of Chest diseases at the Madras Medical College between 1970 and 1981 and as professor of thoracic medicine between 1981 and 2000.

He had also served as examiner at various Indian universities for graduate and postgraduate medical degrees and diplomas till date. He co-founded the Indian Chest Society and edited its official journalLung India for several years.

When he served as the Superintendent of the Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine, Dr. Deivanayagam set up the HIV/AIDS care unit, amid opposition, which later became one of the world’s index HIV treatment units.

SIDDHA MEDICINE

Charmed by the practice of Siddha medicine, Dr. Deivanayagam took up research. One of the key areas of research was the use of Siddha system of medicine, along with the conventional allopathic treatment in reducing the viral load among patients with HIV. He also served as chairman, National Advisory Council for Siddha.

He established the Health India Foundation in Chennai in 2001 which runs a regular day care clinic for HIV and other disorders at the Red Cross Centre, in Egmore.

His involvement with the anti-nuclear movement crystallised into setting up the Physicians for Peace initiative, and he was also part of the initial team that led the campaign against setting up the Kudankulam project in 1988-89, his colleagues in the movement recalled.

When the State government took over the Sri Ramachandra Medical College in 1989 and renamed as the Tamil Nadu Arasu Medical College and Research Institute (TAMARAI), Dr. Deivanayagam functioned as its Dean. The takeover was struck down a couple of years later by the Madras High Court.

Dr. Deivanayagam was a consultant with the World Health Organisation on infectious diseases.

He is survived by wife and three daughters.